Since Batman was off-world helping the justice league deal with some galactic threat, Dick was asked to check in on Bruce's new protegee Barbara Gordon, "The Batgirl", fresh from college, according to Bruce she was more of the brains than brawns, which was a welcome change from his last assignment training Bruce's son, Damien, who severely lacked in the brains department. Plus, Bruce was going to let him drive the batmobile for the weekend.
Dick stares up at the massive monitors in the Batcave. Various maps were displayed, transcripts from police lines, a myriad of tests running on evidence Bruce had collected in the preceding days. His intense focus is broken as Barbara enters the cave wearing her new suit. It's tight, but modest, a dark purple with a bright yellow bat symbol embroidered across her chest. Her dark red locks creeping out through the bottom of the cowl, her sleek modern suit designed to allow more mobility than protection contrasted with Dicks more bullish suit, the armor platings thicker, designed to stop large arms fire, the dark black metal showing scratches and dents from previous battles, his suit more battle-worn, the light blue symbol etched across the chest shining brightly against the black backdrop.
"How do I look, Dick?" She asks as she does a turn, her cape fluttering behind her. Dick looks her over with a confused look on his face.
"Does he actually let you wear the bat symbol?" Dick asks glancing down at his own chest before looking towards the glass cases that held the suit of his former alter-ego, Robin. None of them displaying the famed bat symbol. Barbara notices Dick's eyes darting around the room and smirks.
"I guess I'm just cuter in it," She says with a wink. Dick rolls his eyes. All of a sudden he realizes he wasn't on training duty, he was babysitting. At least with Damien, there was potential. He had been trained by the league of assassins. This was just a run of the mill sorority girl.
"Looking cute isn't going to help when Joker has you at knifepoint, or when Bane has you cornered." Dick snaps, his calm demeanor giving way to a temper, a quirk he had picked up from Bruce, He loved Bruce as a father, but hates the idea that after all Bruce put him through he would go soft on new protegees.
"I...I'm sorry, I was just trying to make a joke..." Barbara's voice trails off. Dick quickly rises to his feet and approaches her. She's intimidated by him. Dick Grayson, Nightwing. He had been fighting with Bruce since he was a boy. Even before she had joined Batman she had heard the stories of his exploits as Robin. It's an honor for her to be working with him, but she already feels as if he was losing respect for her. Her thoughts are interrupted as an alarm screams from the monitors. Dick's head turns to face the monitors as he leans over the keyboard, typing furiously.
"A chemical plant has been destroyed in the industrial district. Gotham Police reporting Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are responsible and fleeing the scene." Dick looks at Barbara, her green eyes showing her fear. This was the first time she would ever go out without Bruce. Even with his cold, tough demeanor, being with Bruce had a calming effect on her, and gave her the confidence she needed. "Don't worry," Dick assured her. "I'll have your back, and we're going to get them, now hop in the batmobile and let's go."
"I will take my Bike and meet you there," Barbara asked as they headed to the parking spaces, Dick climbing into the batmobile, a hulking tank-like figure that could strike fear into criminals of Gotham at a glance, Barbara climbs onto the black superbike, the loud rumbling of the engine starting as she kicks the lever to start the bike,
"You have a bike?" Dick screamed over the roar of her bike's engine as she sped out of the cave. He rolled his eyes. "She's fucking him, that's the only explanation," he says to himself as the batmobile screamed out of the Batcave.
Arriving at the scene, Dick and Barbara find Harley and Ivy's getaway car ditched on the side of the road. Barbara ran to the car and checked it for clues. Dick surveyed the rooftops of the buildings surrounding them.
"So if they destroyed the plant thirty minutes ago, and using this model of car they could have only gone eighty miles per hour, they could have only arrived five minutes ago, so assuming they're on foot they have to be within a one-mile radius of this point..." She stopped talking as Dick placed his hand on her shoulder.
